The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are preparing to enter a new era with Tom Brady under center, but the team may not be done shaping the talent around him. While Brady now has talented wideouts such as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to work with, the team may be looking to move on from a former first-round pick in the near future.
During an appearance on the GM Shuffle podcast, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic reported that he was told by a league source the Buccaneers are attempting to trade tight end O.J. Howard — and he wouldn’t be surprised if Howard was traded within the next week.
“I think Howard’s got a great name, but I think there’s an instinctive issue going on,” said Lombardi. “I think he’s going to be available.”
Howard was selected by the Buccaneers with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He caught a career-high 34 receptions for 565 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games last season season before he was injured, but caught 34 passes for 459 receptions and just one touchdown in 14 games last year.
“It’s hard to say (what’s wrong),” head coach Bruce Arians said when asked about Howard last November. “He’s a talented, talented guy, but it’s not showing up on Sundays.”
This is somewhat of an interesting development considering the success Brady has found with tight ends over his two decades in the NFL. While Howard hasn’t shined on the field recently, he’s 6-foot-6, 251 pounds and armed with exceptional speed and good hands. Coach Arians may have seen enough, however, and the Buccaneers could look to move in a different direction.
In 38 career games, Howard has caught 94 passes for 1,456 yards and 12 touchdowns. Only 25 years old, there could be a decent market for the former University of Alabama star.
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